Strip serving machine



April 12, 1949. r. H. KRUEGER STRIP SERVING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 16, 1942 INVENTOR 77/:000 6% [2056152 ATTORNEYS T. H. KRUEGER STRIP SERVING MACHINE April' 12, 1949.

I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 16, 1942 MM 1w mg w m. n 2 MA Y W Patented Apr. 12, 1949 UNITED s'rmr snavmc MACHINE Theodore H. Krueger, Stratlord, Conn, asslgnor to Better lackages Incorporated, a corporation of New York Application October 16, 1942, Serial No. 462.284

This invention relates to an improved apparatus for serving measured lengths of strip or tape covered or impregnated on one or both sides thereof with a pressure sensitive adhesive, usually tacky or non-drying either permanently or during the period of use. The invention has particular utility in the various fields of use to which pressure sensitive adhesive tape is applied and especially is useful where tape is required in large numbers of short lengths such as fractional parts of a foot. The invention eliminates the tedious nuisance and waste involved in cutting inaccurate lengths with scissors and further eliminates the difiiculty encountered in severing most pressure sensitive tapes by hand.

It is an object of the invention to provide a tape dispensing machine particularly for tacky tape which may be constructed from a small number of easily fashioned parts of inexpensive material.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a machine for dispensing tacky tape in which the tape is drawn from a supply and positioned by its own tackiness on a series of spaced tape engaging means which are mounted on a delivery element, each of said tape engaging Claims. (Cl. 164-42) rigidity for mounting the various instrumentalities which form the machine. On the rear of the base Ill are mounted two L-shaped members l4 and I6, said members being slotted as at l8 and to provide for the introduction of an axle 24 which mounts a roll 22 of tacky material. Stationary pin 26 may join the members l4 and I6 so that the roll rests thereon, it being noted that. as shown, the non-tacky side of the tape preferably contacts the pin 26 so that while no "adhesion results between the roll and thepin, the pin serves as a brake for the rotary movement of V the roll 22 preventing the tape web 28 from hangmeans having cutting means associated therewith whereby one or more of said cutting means may be utilized to sever strips of varying lengths.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a tape dispensing machine for tacky strip in which portions of the cutting means and tape engaging means cooperate for the purpose of holding the tape in position for removal after sevcring until the operator is ready to use the same.

Other and further objects and advantages will appear from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine taken from th right side of the front thereof;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view taken from the right rear side thereof;

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fi 2;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the machine with certain parts broken away; and

Figure 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing parts of the machine in slightly different position.

As shown in the drawings, the machine includes a base 10 having a side support l2 secured thereto. It will be understood that the base and the side member may be varied considerably and may be made of any convenient material, it only being necessary to provide means of sufiicient ing loosely and possibly fouling other parts of the machine.

An L-shaped standard 30 is secured near the front of the machine to the base l0, said standard being apertured near its top to permit the introduction of an axle 32 which axle is preferably journaled for rotation at its opposite end in the side support l2. Mounted for rotation on the axle 32 is the delivery element 34 comprising a plurality of outwardly extending support members 36 having tape engaging means at their outer extremities. The supports 36 may be mounted at a tangent to theaxle as shown or in any other convenient manner to provide for rotation thereof about the axle 32 and may furthermore be of any convenient number. Asshown the axle 32 carries four such supports 36. The supports 36 as shown each comprise a flat portion extending outwardly from the axle and terminating in an angularly related flange 38. Secured to the outer face of the flange 38 is the fiat member 40 which itself terminates in the outwardly faced U-shaped trough 42. Mounted above the member 40 is the tape engagingsurface member 44 which has shear edge 46 on the same side thereof as the U-shaped trough 42 and is further provided with ear 48. The flange 38 and the members 40 and 44 may be secured together by screws 50 or any other convenient means. Ear 48 has pivotally secured to it by means of pivot 52, cutter 54 having shear edge 56 and finger piece 58. The spring 60 which bears against the top surface of the member 44 is adapted to engage lug 6| on the cutter 64 so as to hold the cutter 54 normally in position out of the tapepath as shown for example in Figs. 1 and 2. It is noted that this cutter construction provides a manually operated shear adapted to be moved across the tape path to sever the tape and to move automatically out of cutting position and out of the tape path when released aftera cutting operation.

Referring to Fig. 1, the element 34 is normally rotated in a clockwise direction whereby the tape web 28 is drawn from the roll and is contacted first by the outer surface of the U-shaped trough 42 (see Fig. 2) and then bythe flat tape engaging surface of the member 44. to both of which surfaces it adheres because of its tackiness. As the next support 36 meets the tape web 28 in the rotation of the element 34, the outer surface of the lJ-shaped trough 42 again contacts the web 28 and a. portion of tape is thus suspended between these two supports. As the element 34 is rotated about the axle 32, by means which will be described, the portion of tape web which has been drawn from the roll eventually is brought to a more or less horizontal position as shown in Fig. 1, and at or near this point the cutter 54 may conveniently be operated by rotating it about the pivot 52, thus bringing the shear edge 56 across the tape web 26 so that cooperating with shear edge 46 the tape is severed. The cutter 54 having been operated, the severed stn'p may be removed and the feeding element revolved through 90 in a manner to be described. The next cutter is then operated, the severed strip removed and so on. It 'is seen that after severing and until the operator is ready to use it, the severed strip is left suspended and held in its position by its tackiness alone between the member 44 and the outer surface of the U-shaped trough 42 of the following support 36. It is clear that if rather than operating successive cutters 54 the operation of one or more is omitted, multiples of the unit length between two supports 36 can be served.

Any convenient means for rotatin the feeding element may be employed, it being desirable, however, that the feed element shall be held in relatively rigid position during the time the cutters 54 are operated. To this end I have provided the spring detent 62 mounted on the side member 12 in position to engage successively each of the supports 36 as they rotate about the shaft 32 and to hold them in relatively rigid position so that the operation of the cutter 54 will not cause the feed element 34 to rotate, but nevertheless the element may be moved to the next position after the cutting and removal of the severed strip has been accomplished by application of sufficient force to dislodge the sprin detent 62. It is under-- stood of course that any convenient means for holding the feed element momentarily while cutting is efiected may be employed.

It can be seen that the feed element could be rotated by hand if desired against the pressure of the spring .detent 62, but I have found it more convenient to provide a reciprocatory feed arm 66 having handle 68, the arm 66 being freely mounted for reciprocation on an extension 64 of the axle 32. Secured to the inside of the arm 66 is the block III which has pivoted thereto a dog 12. The end 14 of the dog 12 is normally projected into the path of the support member 36 of the feed element 34 by the spring 18. The end of the dog 12 is also provided on its back with cam surface 80 so that in the counterclockwise movement of the feed shaft 66 (referrin to Fig, 2) the dog 12 will pass supports 36 without rotating the element 34 as held stationary by the detent 62. When, however, the feed arm 66, after being moved in counterclockwise direction to a position where the dog 12 has passed a support 36, is then moved in a clockwise direction, the support 36 will be engaged by the dog and the feed element 34 will be moved forward against the resistance of the detent 62 and in clockwise direction to draw tape 28 from the roll 22. The feed arm 66 is normally drawn 16, in which position into a raised position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, against a stop 15 by means of a spring the end 14 of the dog .12 is in engagement with a support member 36 so that the next downward movement of the handle will produce a feeding of the tape.

Also mounted on the inside of the feed arm 66 is the stop pin 82. A releasable stop member 84 pivoted at 88 to ear 90 secured to base Ill has its upper end, which is formed with a notch 85, movable into the orbit of rotation of supports 36. The lower end of the element 84 rearward of the front of the machine is slightly rounded as at 94 and spring 96 normally draws member 84 backward into approximately the position shown in Fig. 5 out of the orbit of supports 36. As the feed arm 66 is revolved in a clockwise direction (see Fig. 2) and the dog 12 is in engagement with one of the supports 36 and thus tape is being drawn from the roll, it eventually reaches the position approximately illustrated in Fig. 5. At this time the stop pin 82 meets the upper curved end of the element 84 and rocks it forward by camming action to the position particularly illustrated in Fig. 4 which position it reaches at approximately the same time that the next forward of the supports 36 drops into the groove in the spring detent 62. An L-shaped bracket 63 serves to limit the movement of member 84 in this direction. When the element 84 reached the position shown in Fig. 4, the corner of a support 36 seats firmly in the notch 85, and bears against the bottom of the notch which positively arrests further rotation of the feed element 34. The side wall of the notch is also forced firmly against the side of the engaged support by the camming action of the pin 82. This prevents any possible rebound of the feed element due to its sudden stoppage. The rotation of the feed element is thus positively halted independently of the action of the spring detent 62, which is required merely to retain the supports in their stopped position during cutting and until the next feeding actuation of the machine.

The means for locking the feed wheel against overthrow and rebound disclosed in this case constitute a modified form of the locking means shown in my application, Serial No. 427,414, filed January 20, 1942, in which such locking devices are claimed generically.

While I have illustrated and described in detail a preferred form of my invention, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the use of such form, as I realize that changes within the scope of the invention are possible, and I further intend each element or instrumentality recited in any of the following claims to be understood to refer to all equivalent elements or instrumentalities for accomplishing substantially the same result in substantially the same or equivalent manner, it being my purpose to cover my invention broadly in whatever form its principle may be utilized.

I claim:

1. A dispenser for tacky tape having a feed element including a series of spaced tape adhering surfaces for feeding of tape by rotation of said element, cutters associated with each of said surfaces, said cutters including movabh mounted blades, and means to operate said blades independent of the relative position of said element.

2. A dispenser [or adhesive tape having a feed element including a series of spaced tape feed surfaces to each of which is adapted to adhere adhesive tape for feeding by rotation of said element, each of said surfaces being provided with a trough and cutting means including a pivotally mounted blade member movable into said trough to sever the tape.

3. A device of the character described, having a feed element, a series of spaced feed surfaces on said element to each of which is adapted to adhere adhesive tape for feeding by rotation of said element, cutting means including movable cutter blades and cooperating cutter edges, said cutter edges forming a part of said surfaces, said edged surfaces being of suflicient area to hold severed strips of tape on said surfaces by adhesion of the tape alone subsequent to operation of one or more of said cutter blades.

4. A device of the character described having a feed element, a series of spaced feed surfaces rotatable with said element to feed tape by rotation of said element, cutting means including movable cutter blades and cooperating cutter edges, said cutter edges forming a part of said feed surfaces, said surfaces being of sufiicient width on either side of said cutter blade so that the tape will adhere to and be supported by said surfaces subsequent to severing.

5. In a machine for dispensing lengths of pressure sensitive adhesive tape, in combination, a

feed device for drawing the tape from a source of supply, said device including a plurality of pairs of tape engaging surfaces of sufficient area to provide effective tape adhesion, at least one surface of each pair having a cutting edge at the side of said surface nearest to the other surface of the pair of which it is a member, and means cooperative with said cutting edge to sever the tape, whereby the tape at one side of the linev of severanceadheres to one surface of a pair, and the tape at the other side of the line of severance adheres to the other surface of said pair.

6. In a machine for dispensing lengths of pressure sensitive adhesive tape, in combination, a feed devic for drawing the tape from a source of supply, said device including spaced tape engaging surfaces of sufllcient area to provide effective tape adhesion, means for severing the tape between spaced surfaces so as to leave a severed piece of tape adhered toat least one surface, and the unsevered portion of the tape adhered to at least onesurface, and yielding detent means cooperating with said feed device for holding said feed device against movement during severing of the tape, said yielding detent being releasable by movement of the feed device in .a direction to advanc the tape.

7. In a machine for dispensing lengths of pressure sensitive adhesivetape, in combination, a feed device for drawing the tape from a source of supply, said device including a plurality of spaced tape engaging surfaces of sufllcient area to provide effective tape adhesion, a hand operated actuating element for intermittently advancing said feed device, and a latch cooperating with a portion of said feed device to lock the same against overthrow and rebound when said hand operated actuating device is operated to advance the feed device.

8. Mechanism for dispensing adhesive, tape from a roll comprising a rotatable wheel, a series of elements to which the. adhesive face of the tape will adhere, for unwinding it from the roll, rotatable with and circumferentially spaced apart on the wheel, and a series of cutting devices associated respectively with said elements, each cutting device comprising a blade pivotally supported on the wheel and to swing inwardly to sever tape, from a position extending radially outward, all of said cutting devices being independently and selectively operable while said elements are in any rotative position.

9. Mechanism for dispensing adhesive tape from a roll comprising a rotatable wheel, a series of elements to which the adhesive face of the tape will adhere, for unwinding it from the roll, rotatable with and circumferentially spaced apart on the wheel, and a series of cutting devices associated respectively with said elements, each cutting device comprising a blade pivotally supported on the wheel and to swing inwardly to sever the tape, from a position extending radially outward, and spring means for holding the blade normally in its outward position, all of said cutting devices being selectively and independently operable while said elements are in any rotative position. I

10. Mechanism for dispensing adhesive tape from a roll comprising a rotatable wheel, a series of surfaces to which the adhesive face of the tape will adhere for unwinding it from the roll, rotatable with and circumferentially spaced apart on the wheel, and a series of cutting devices associated respectively with said surfaces, each cutting device comprising a blade pivotally supported to swing inwardly to cut the tape from a position extending radially outward, a rigid coacting shearing edge at one end of said surfaces, and means for normally positioning the blade to extend radially outward from its pivot.

THEODORE H. 'KRUEGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Fitch Oct. 13, 1942 

